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Is A 'Partner Predator' Circling Your Husband Or Wife?

These kinds of scenarios are more common than you think. I see them all the time in practice: an "innocent" opposite-sex friendship on the part of one spouse begins to drive a wedge between a married couple. Yet instead of prioritizing the marriage and ending the friendship, the married partner defends their friend.
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You're having a nice coffee date with your wife when her phone chimes with a new text. She reads it, giggles, and starts texting this other person back. You know who it is.

It's him. It's always him. Your neighbour, that overly friendly guy that you just know is a player. The one who sits a little too close to your wife during those backyard BBQs.

He gets his kicks by texting your wife whenever the mood hits him, sending inside jokes and even pictures of himself pretending to hop over the fence into your yard. Yeah, real cute.

But it's pointless to tell her your concerns. She'll just say you're jealous, overreacting or that you just don't get his sense of humor. He's "just like that." So you swallow your anger and hurt. No point having yet another fight about it.

Or maybe it's like this?

You're lying next to your husband in bed when his phone chimes with a new text. He looks at it, turns his back to you and starts texting. You know it's her. It's always her. That new female co-worker, the one with the train-wreck of a life who's always asking for your husband's help, whether it's to set up her Wi-Fi or fix her kid's bicycle.

You say, "Really? She's texting you at 10 o'clock at night? Is that necessary?"

"She's just having a hard time and has nobody else to talk to," he says. "She's just got out of a bad relationship."

You know how the whole "damsel in distress" game works, and you know this woman is playing it with your husband. And more and more, it seems like she's winning.

"I'm sure she can find someone else's shoulder to cry on," you reply. "It isn't right. You're married and she should know better."

"She likes to talk to me because I'm married. I'm safe. She can talk to me and get a guy's perspective without worrying about being hit on."

You bite your tongue. But inside, you're screaming, "Bullshit!" You're also hurt. Hurt that your husband is defending this other woman over you. Hurt that he trusts her "innocent intentions" more than your gut feelings.

Because you know better. You know how the whole "damsel in distress" game works, and you know this woman is playing it with your husband. And more and more, it seems like she's winning.

These kinds of scenarios are more common than you think. I see them all the time in practice: an "innocent" opposite-sex friendship on the part of one spouse begins to drive a wedge between a married couple. Yet instead of prioritizing the marriage and ending the friendship, the married partner defends their friend.

While this is a complex issue and I can't unpack the whole thing in one article, there is no doubt that some of these "friends" have far guiltier intentions than they let on. There is what I call a "partner predator." This is a person who -- married or single -- goes to great lengths to seduce another person's husband or wife.

Why? Because it's fun. Because it's how they get their kicks and pass the time. Because it's how they add a spark to their own relationship or how they find validation in life. Because, thanks to things like texting and social media, it's easy and relatively risk-free.

Or because they're looking for a bail-out for their own life. Because they need financial or emotional support, and they know your partner can provide that. Because they want to keep someone else -- your spouse -- on the back-burner in case their own relationship falls apart.

If one of these folks is circling your spouse, get ready for a world of pain, frustration, drama and conflict. Because they're good at what they do. They're good at exploiting your spouse's vanities or needs.

They're good at exploiting shared interests: "Oh wow, you like motorbikes/jazz music/video games/old movies/cat memes too? What a coincidence!"

They're good at persuading your spouse that their intentions are innocent and that you, the husband or wife, are being unreasonable. "Seriously? Your husband/wife doesn't like it when I text you? That's too bad. You deserve better. We're just friends."

Or some bullshit message along those lines. It's all about dividing and conquering.

So what do you do about it? I'll tell you what NOT to do. Don't complain. Don't warn your spouse that the other person is up to no good. Don't obsessively check your spouse's phone or nitpick their texts for evidence that's crossed the line.

If this is happening in your marriage, you need to trust your own instincts and stand up for yourself and your marriage. Insist that the friendship ends.

Don't allow yourself to be put in the role of the controlling, nagging or insecure spouse while the friend plays the role of the innocent friend who is simply befuddled by your baffling suspicions.

If this is happening in your marriage, you need to trust your own instincts and stand up for yourself and your marriage. Insist that the friendship ends. What's your alternative? To let it continue to cause problems in your marriage and drive a wedge between you? To let it become more entrenched until it transitions into a full-scale emotional or sexual affair?

If you can do this on your own, great. If you need help, there are resources out there, including my audio course: Prevent Infidelity // End Their Inappropriate Friendship.

Just be sure to advocate for yourself and the kind of marriage you want to be part of, one where you and your spouse are romantic best friends. One where partner predators will quickly tire of circling and will move on to easier prey.

Visit DebraMacleod.com for more info.

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